​LvngHstry

What type of presentation do you do?

We research, write, and enact first-person Chautauqua-style narratives. Our presentation is first in the character of the historic figure(s), then the audience has an opportunity to ask questions of the historic figure(s), then of us as researchers. The program generally runs from forty to fifty minutes, including the opportunities for audience questions.   

We welcome questions from the audience as we usually know far more about the topic than can ever be presented in a single program. We purposely craft our presentations to leave a “loose end” or two, which can frequently lead to questions to help the audience understand better the characters and their time.

 

(Go to the Program List )

Is this a reenactment and are you reenactors?

We do participate in reenactments as reenactors. For example, we portray people of the Civil War, or Kansas Territorial eras at reenactments, and we enjoy these events immensely! Our United States Sanitary Commission Relief Station is typical for this type of venue. But, there’s a difference between a reenactment, and historical interpretation or historical performance. Our programs are the latter. For example, at a reenactment such as a Civil War reenactment, the visitor usually goes to a historic site, or into an outdoor setting intended to be a physical recreation of a place of the time, i.e., a Civil War camp. Commonly, a particular event or battle is recreated by the reenactors. The reenactors may interact with the visitors as historical people of the time, or the visitor may be an observer as the reenactors explain or demonstrate events and activities of the period.  

In our historical presentations, we come to you and set the scene, presenting ourselves as particular characters. We put your imagination to work and bring you into “our time”, where we interact with you as though we’re all at the same point, set on a particular day in the past.

What’s the difference between this and a theatrical performance?

In theater, usually the audience is a considerable distance from the performer, and creative license is encouraged in costuming and props. We, as historical performers, expect that our audiences are likely to be toe-to-toe with us after the performance, if not during it. We, therefore, invest considerable time in research, and money in getting clothing, and other items that we use that are as historically accurate as possible.

Another difference is in our presentation.  In theater, for example, the audience members are usually observers of the action or scene with no interaction.  In our presentations, the audience is a part of the scene.  Also, if it’s appropriate, we don’t mind mingling with an audience beforehand in character engaging in conversation or other interaction. We always make ourselves available after a presentation to answer individual questions.

How will I know that your presentation is right for my event or organization's needs?

If you’re interested in a particular program, we’re happy to explain it fully, along with getting information from you such as, the purpose of your program, the likely audience, the setting, and what your expectations are.  If you’re not sure which of our programs will fit your needs, we’ll make a recommendation.  

We want your event to be a success, and we want to be a good fit for you. We are sometimes asked to give a particular program when we don’t feel that it’s right for the sponsor’s purposes. If we don’t think that what we have to offer is right for you, then we’ll tell you, and we will make recommendations for contacts with other quality historical performers with a program more suitable to your needs.

How do you set your fee?

The fee we charge for our presentations is based on a number of factors. We spend time in research involving a cost for materials, fees, and travel expenses. The clothing that we wear for our presentations is not theatrical costuming, but quality reproductions of the period, again based on research and using patterns made from or based on original garments. Our research is ongoing, and we look to keep our presentations accurate, and current in keeping with the latest scholarly finds and thinking. We try to keep our fee as affordable as possible while allowing us to give you a top quality presentation.  You can find our Fee Schedule here.

If you have additional questions, please contact us!